[Placebo and pediatric cough: the constant reinvention of the wheel]

The placebo effect has been studied and discussed in depth in recent years but, despite the extensive literature on the subject, the evidence of its impact in the clinic still arouses surprise. A study published in a major international journal of Pediatrics has compared blue agave pasteurized nectar, placebo and no treatment. The results demonstrate the greater effectiveness of both blue agave nectar and placebo versus the no-therapy option. Nothing new under the sun, except for a forced reflection on the real need of clinical research on the subject.